County Plans

Tuolumne County General Plan

The Community Resource Agency's Planning Division administers a variety of plans related to growth, development, and maintenance of the unique features that make Tuolumne County different and special.

First and foremost, the Tuolumne County General Plan functions as the constitution for growth and development in the unincorporated areas of the county. As only the county-seat, Sonora, is incorporated, the general plan applies in some fashion to the remainder of the county, particularly the growth and development of privately-owned properties.

The county’s land development regulations, such as the zoning ordinance, land divisions ordinance, fire safety standards, water and sewers, and road standards, and all land development projects must be consistent with the general plan. The Planning Division of the Community Resources Agency assists the Board of Supervisors in defining the goals and policies and implementing the programs within the general plan.

There are two principle parts to the general plan: the policy documents; and the land use diagrams.

Land Use Designation & Zoning Districts

To find the general plan land use designation or zoning district for a particular piece of property on the interactive mapping tool, you will need either an Assessor's parcel number or street address. This interactive tool is complex, and could take several minutes to load if you have a slower internet connection.

To get a copy of Tuolumne County's General Plan and zoning layer files, you will need to download the files from our GIS file download site, as well have GIS software installed on your computer to view and use those files. You will need to fill out an access form for GIS files.

The two public use airports in the county are located at Columbia and Pine Mountain Lake. The Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan contains policies regarding noise, safety, airspace protection, and aircraft overflights, which apply primarily to property located within the airport influence area boundaries associated with the two airports.

Water Quality Plan

The Tuolumne County Water Quality Plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on February 13, 2007 to establish a watershed-based planning framework. The Water Quality Plan contains a comprehensive program that addresses a wide range of water quality concerns within the County. This WQP emphasizes surface (e.g., lakes, streams) water quality, factors affecting surface water quality, and mechanisms for maintaining and improving surface water quality.

Other Plans

There are other plans, including the Tuolumne County Recreation Master Plan, which are not available online yet. As they become available, they will be made available here as well.